Inevitable
by Butterfly of the Dusk
Summary: She was a prisoner, confined behind crumbling stones. He was just a guard, charged with nothing but to watch over a tower. Their paths were never meant to cross, but once they did, their fate was only inevitable. AU. Under revision.
1. Chapter 1

_**This has been edited and revised as of October 13, 2012. **_

**Disclaimer-I do not, in any way, claim the rights to Gosick.**

**So, instead of writing a new chapter, I've decided to revise this story. Sorry. **

**If you are an old reader, I hope that you will enjoy this revision as much as you did the original, if not more. And if you're a new reader, enjoy!**

**By the way, if you only want to read the new version of the story, then don't read ahead unless you see:**

_**This has been edited and revised as of (date).**_

**The revised edition will most likely be shorter than the original. **

**So, without further ado-**

* * *

><p>Kujo stared at the man before him. Or, at least, what he could see of him. Though the unwrinkled, alabaster robes were blindingly visible beneath the dim lights, his face was obscured, shadowed from Kujo's perspective. But, one monocle seemed to glisten, its glass catching the paltry beams of light.<p>

"May I inquire as to why you have sought an audience with me?" the man asked, his deep bellows echoing across the silent room. Beads of sweat gathered above Kujo's brows as he tightened his clammy hands on his lap. Only seconds before he had been shivering, but now was heating up with fear and anxiety. It took all of his willpower to resist lowering his head in shame.

"I...I have been told that you are seeking-"

"Ah. So I see. You have come seeking for employment, is it not?" Kujo gulped. Was it just his imagination, or had there been a tone of dissatisfaction?

"Yes, sir."

"Are you educated?"

"Ah...yes. Yes! I have...recently gra-graduated from St. Marguerite." With every word, Kujo cringed. At this rate, he would not only be unemployed, but the laughingstock of Saubure. No one was foolish enough to behave as such before a marquis. Other than him. Of course.

"The prestigious academy?" The marquis did not betray even a hint of surprise (slashing all of Kujo's hope on that matter). Instead, he continued with, "Hopefully, your study habits fare better than your speaking habits."

Kujo nervously laughed, his gaze focused on the tiled floor.

"Do you happen to have any combat experience?"

His head abruptly snapped back up. After humiliating himself like that, the marquis was still considering him? Or was this a trick? "Yes. I...have been trained in martial arts since I was a child."

"Only martial arts?"

"Yes."

His response was met with silence. It seemed that the marquis was contemplating the pros and the cons of hiring a man such as Kujo. Once again, Kujo turned his attention towards the floor. Yes, the floor...with its intricate patterns carved in the center of each tile. Warm hues swirled along the edges, circling around an insignia of an-

"...The job is yours."

Kujo nearly fell off his chair. With unrestrained glee, he thanked the marquis.

"You will collect your wages once a month. If I hear of any indecent or improper activities involving you, then your employment will be immediately terminated. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. Then here is your first task." A letter slowly emerged from the darkness, along with two long, slender fingers. "Deliver this to the top floor of the tower. Do not, by any means, attempt to associate with the guest residing there."

Kujo stared at the man in confusion. The de Blois estate spread across a few acres. It would take at least an hour to find this tower. And even then, how was he to be sure that it was the right one? "Which-"

"There is only one tower here. You shall be in charge of guarding it. If you do not have any more questions, then leave."

Puzzled, Kujo stalked off.

* * *

><p><strong>I'll probably be able to update on Saturdays, Sundays, extended weekends, and etc. Probably not the weekdays.<strong>

**Please review if you have the time. **


	2. Chapter 2

_**This has been edited and revised as of November 21, 2012.**_

**Disclaimer - I disclaim. **

* * *

><p>His jaw gaped in awe as his gaze lingered on the tower of chipped stones. It loomed a good fifty meters above him; a halo of ashen clouds floated above the sharpened roof. The un-oiled hinges of the wooden door creaked, the sounds of decaying wood reverberating across the stony walls.<p>

Then..._  
><em>

It was a joke. It had to be a joke. A trick of some sort. He refused to climb those stairs. _  
><em>

He glared up at the endless flights of stairs, as if it would make them disappear, bringing the top floor to him instead. Rather than facing this...this..._thing, _he would rather risk unemployment. Thoughts of storming out of the tower bubbled inside him.

...Who was he kidding? He had already humiliated himself once before the marquis. One more time, and his brothers might catch wind of it. Somehow. Someway.

He definitely didn't want that to happen. Whether or not it was even possible.

...

_I really am out of shape, _he thought, panting for breath. It had taken him one...maybe even two hours just to climb up to the pinnacle. Lifting his gaze up from dusty stones, his eyes met...yet another door of rotting wood.

Hesitantly, he reached out to push it open. But within a second, the door collapsed with its final groan. Kujo cringed. Tightening his sweaty grip on the letter he stared at what laid before him.

The first thing he noticed was that it was dark. So very, very dark. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the lighting (or lack thereof), but the murky air eventually began to part to reveal a thin outline of a silhouette - of what, he didn't know. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, he saw-

A river of silver cascaded from her scalp, branching off into thin strands that kissed the dusty stones. Her sooty, obviously dis-colored garb engulfed her thin frame; bony limbs poked through the worn-out rag. Dark bags beneath her eyes merely intensified her already pallid skin. But what struck him most were her eyes...those eyes. Dull and lifeless, the mossy eyes stared at everything and nothing at the same time.

Then he heard something. A groan, perhaps. Panicking, his eyes quickly darted around. Nothing was within a five meter radius of him. Nothing but this doll-

He yelped (no, never mind that. He did not yelp. _Men _did not yelp. Especially third sons of imperial soldiers. He had screamed. Yes. That was all there was to it). The doll - or, what he had _thought _was a doll - flicked her eyes to meet his. A scowl pressed against her chapped lips, and she rose to sit in a straight, upright position. _  
><em>

"Who-" The girl broke into a fit of coughs, sending plumes of dust into the air (only to later rain onto their heads). "Who are you?"

Kujo didn't reply. He knew that it was stupid and rude of him, but he was shaking like a leaf. Clenching and un-clenching his hands he finally remembered the letter. Unable to keep his hand steady, he offered the girl the object.

Eyebrows raised, the girl briskly snatched the letter from Kujo. A thought finally crossed the man's foggy brain.

She was in a tower. She had been in a tower, in fact, for who _knows_ how long. The thought made perfect sense to him. Thus, it was only polite to offer-

"Shall I read it to you?"

It was an agonizing three minutes. Three minutes of complete silence. Three minutes to make way for a perfectly awkward atmosphere. Three minutes for the words to sink in.

The girl hissed at him. Something painfully hard met with his shin, and the next thing he knew, his face nearly met the cracked stone floor that laid past the threshold of her room.

* * *

><p><strong>...In other words, the girl kicked him. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**_This has been edited and revised as of December 23, 2012._  
><strong>

**Disclaimer - I, in no way, claim to own the rights of Gosick.**

* * *

><p><em>It was dark. But it was by no means silent<em>_. __Countless whispers pierced through the thick, black haze. Nonsensical, incoherent whispers that surrounded him, caressing his inner earlobe, pleading him to remember. _

_Remember._

_What was there to remember? He crouched down, bringing his hands up to cup his ears. _

_That didn't help. Not at all. The voice - or was it voices? - echoed in his head, constantly repeating the same gibberish. He shut his eyes, as if that would help him shut out the darkness or the whispers...or both._

_And then, he fell. _

_He wanted to scream, but no sound would come out. Flailing, he reached out into the darkness, searching for something - anything - that would bring him out of it._

_It wasn't something material. Nor was it tangible. It was a flash-_

_A small girl, probably no older than six, smiling; her flaxen hair glistening behind her._

_It all faded into nothing._

_..._

Kujo woke with a start. That girl...he knew her. But how, he didn't know. Clutching his chest he wheezed, only now realizing that he was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

It only took him a few moments to realize the three pairs of eyes glaring at him. One belonged to a man now hissing at him. And the others? They seemed about ready to kill him (metaphorically of course...or at least, he hoped that was the case).

A pregnant silence hovered above the four men, until finally-

"...Newbie." One of the men clicked his tongue, plummeting into his bed as he did so. The others quickly followed suit, and snores soon resounded in the air. Only Kujo refused to sleep. It wasn't that he was afraid; but the dream had completely woken him up. And he didn't want to fall back into that torturous darkness again.

...

He stared up at the cloudless sky. Noon.

Stomach growling, Kujo sighed. Guarding the tower was an effortless task. And boring too. After all, who in their right mind would even _think_ about infiltrating a half deteriorated, half crumbling tower? Common sense would dictate that nothing of value would be in there anyway.

...Well, other than that girl.

Tilting his head slightly down Kujo turned his attention towards the pinnacle of the tower. That girl...

Recalling his rude insinuation, he winced. The hunger in his stomach was slowly replaced with a churning guilt. It was a mistake to believe that she was uneducated, and even more so to voice that thought aloud. He wanted to apologize, he truly did. But how?

Kujo glanced around, making sure that no one was watching. And then he took off.

Everything became a blur of green and grey as he dashed through the estate, hoping that nobody had seen him leave his post. He came to an abrupt halt only in front of his quarters. Shaking from exhaustion, he tentatively opened the door, attempting not to let it creak or groan, lest it give him away. Exhaling a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Kujo tiptoed through the room and crouched near his bed. Cheek pressed against the cold, dirt-encrusted floor, Kujo rummaged around his belongings, searching for his apology present.

Too round...too large...too soft...

Murmuring to himself, Kujo's face brightened up when his hand enclosed itself around the objects. Pulling them out, he grinned. They weren't entirely plain, nor were they incredibly special to him either. Being something his sister had mailed to him from Japan, the foreign and intricate delicacies would be a perfect gift.

...Or at least, he hoped.

...

He panted. It wasn't a wise decision to charge up those stairs after running across the estate, he noted.

Gulping, he focused his eyes on the floor. Although he wasn't sure why, this visit seemed to be much more frightening. Maybe it was the fact that there was no more door to open...or accidentally destroy.

Collecting his thoughts, he slowly rose to full height, preparing to stride through the door, hand the girl the gift and an apology, then leave. But he didn't. Instead, all he could do was stare straight ahead.

The girl, head tilted to one side and hands resting in her lap, stared up at the ceiling. Mouth slightly parted, the girl sat still, her only movement being the soft rise and fall of her shoulders.

She looked like a doll.

Apathetic, yet with a hint of loneliness.

He cleared his throat. Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, as if she did not want to tear her gaze away from the ceiling, the girl turned towards Kujo, her eyes blankly meeting his.

For a moment, he couldn't remember what he was doing here. Opening and closing his mouth, no coherent words escaped his lips. He paused, attempting to recall why he was here.

The girl stared up at him. He stared back. His hand tightened, and only then did he realize that there was something in his hand. Something that he was supposed to give her.

Wordlessly, he offered her the the sweets. They didn't necessarily glint or shine; the tiny room was too dim for such a thing. However, they still seemed to brighten up the room.

Reaching out her hand, the girl enclosed it around the bright confectioneries, brushing his hand in the process. Startled, Kujo flinched and lost his grip on the candies. Thankfully, the girl already had a firm grip on them.

Pulling the sweets towards her, she wiped her hand against her outfit - a vain attempt to clean her hand. Running her bony fingers along the thin contours and smooth surface, a hint of a smile played on her lips. Her eyes were shining. Kujo smiled and sat down.

She whispered something. Confused, Kujo tilted his head closer to her. Lips parting, the girl whispered, "What are these?"

"Candies," he simply replied. "That's a squirrel." He pointed at one of the candies. The girl traced her fingers along the width of its tail, mesmerized by its beauty. Softening his voice, Kujo said, "And see this? It's holding a pink ball." Squinting, the girl leaned in towards the candy, noticing for the first time that it was holding a small, pink ball in its well-crafted paws.

She held up the other candy, expecting another explanation. Kujo obliged. "That's a rose. It's a type of flower. They come in all sorts of colors, like yellow, pink, orange, white, and there's even a story of a great alchemist creating a blue one. This rose just happens to be red." The girl didn't respond, instead opting to stare at her gift. "Do you like it?" This time, she dipped her head in a small nod.

"That's good." Kujo smiled, slowly rising back into standing position. "I guess it's time to go now. I'll bring you some more candy tomorrow."

Just as he was about to turn around and leave, the girl finally spoke again. "Can you bring me a book?" Without thinking, he nodded, promising to try. And this time, without interruption, he left the room.

The thought didn't occur to him until several hours after he left the girl.

...He had broken a rule. Probably the only rule that pertained to his job.

_Do not, by any means, attempt to associate with the guest residing there._


	4. Chapter 4

**_This has been edited and revised as of December 23, 2012._  
><strong>

**Disclaimer - I do not own Gosick.**

* * *

><p>He couldn't believe himself. He had broken a rule. On the second day too. He could just hear his brothers in Japan, laughing and ridiculing his stupidity.<p>

Wait. No. He had spoken to her on the first day, didn't he? Great. Just what he needed. A rule-breaker on the first day. At this rate, he would be disowned within the next week...if his brothers or his father heard about it. He really hoped that they wouldn't.

But for the time being (and he hoped, for at least the next month), he was still the third son of an imperial soldier. And he would need to fulfill his promise in honor of the position.

And thus...here he was. Back again. Third day on the job and he was rummaging around under his bed during work hours. _Again. _Except this time, he wasn't looking for candy. No. He was looking for a book. Or...he hoped there was a book under there to _find._

"..." Kujo grunted, stretching his hand farther under the bed. _Please let there be something...aha!_

Evidently, there was a book to find. Sighing with relief, he pulled the book out from his harassed piles of clothes.

He rushed out the door. After all, now came the real problem. _The stairs._

_..._

He was at the top. Finally. All those agonizing hours spent running/climbing/trudging (although, in most part, it was trudging) up those stairs hadn't done him any good thus far. But he was still at the top...for the time being.

Slowing his rapid heartbeat down, Kujo walked past the threshold and handed her the book with a nervous smile.

And...he wanted to smack himself. In the head. Hard.

So much for upholding a promise. He had forgotten his first one!

"Hold on." He groaned, cringing at the thought of running down, across the estate, into his room, back across the estate, and up those stupid stairs again just for a piece of candy. But he was an honorable (or, maybe not so much anymore) third son of an imperial soldier, and he had to keep his promises. Even if it killed him...literally.

The girl, however, surprised him by tugging his hand, which pulled him towards her. "Sit," she commanded in her raspy voice. He sat down. It was a much better option than getting that candy, after all.

The swishing of crisp paper echoed in the otherwise silent room as the girl swiftly turned the pages of her book. Finding nothing else better to do, Kujo resigned to watching her read.

What were her circumstances exactly? Why was she here, locked up in the Marquis' tower? She obviously wasn't well fed, but she also didn't have the dangerous aura of a criminal. Who was this girl? He began to look around. Searching for a clue, or even a hint, of who this girl was.

As far as he could see, there was no scratching on the wall, and if there was, it was either too dark to see, or it was covered with a layer of dust. And this girl was the only thing in the room, so there weren't any suspicious items to be wary of. He squinted. What was that in the corner? It seemed crumpled, in a shape of a crude ball...

The letter. From the first day. But what was in it that would cause it to have such a cruel fate? Was it-

"I'm done."

He stared at the girl. She was done? That soon? It couldn't have been just a few minutes, but she was already done? Granted, it was an incredibly short book, only a hundred pages or so. But, it wasn't possible to be done in such a short amount of time. In disbelief, he exclaimed, "Really? Can you give me a summary?"

Staring straight ahead, her eyes deep in trance, she began, "It was a folk tale from a faraway country. A golden fairy lived there alone. She knew all the mysteries of this world and would give advice to people who had troubles. However, in recompense, she would demand the person's soul, which she would eat." She turned towards him. "Why did you choose this book? Are you trying to tell me something?"

He vehemently denied the accusation. "No. No. I haven't even read this book before."

Silence ensued as the girl contemplated his answer. Finally nodding in reply, she asked, "...Will you bring me another book tomorrow?"

"Yes." Kujo could feel his left eye beginning to twitch. He just made another promise without thinking! He would have to go through all this trouble again, wouldn't he? He began to wonder how differently things would have played out if he had just done the right thing and gotten the stupid candy.

"Misfortune crosses the path of those who betray honor..." Kujo darkly muttered, remembering the quote from one of the magazines his brothers had sent him.

Getting up, Kujo swiftly turned around and prepared to march out the door. No more promises. No more. He was going to be disowned _and _fired at this rate.

Just as he was about to walk past the threshold however, he realized-

He didn't know her name...

Turning around, he asked, "What's your name?"

The girl immediately flinched; her eyebrows furrowed. As if looking for an excuse not to give her name, her eyes quickly began to dart around. Shaking, and therefore causing her raspy voice to fluctuate, she finally murmured, "...Vikki."

* * *

><p><strong>So, I guess an extra crediting is needed. Thank you to the translator of episode 5. Without you, I would have to make up a random story out of the blue. Also, thanks to Nameless Forest for giving me motivation to update<strong>.

**Anyway, now that it's chapter four, and with the story well along its way, I would like to know how this revision is doing compared to its original. Is it better? Worse? Is Kujo too OOC? Does the setting not make sense? If you see any errors, please feel free to review or pm me. I appreciate any and all reviews. Thank you for reading thus far. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the reviews. They make my day! XD**

**So thanks for reading my story and for the positive feedback!**

**Disclaimer-I don't own the goverment...which won't give me the rights to Gosick. **

* * *

><p>For the second time that week, Kujo found himself in the De Blois library...Victorique's few, quick vocalizations echoing in the back of his mind, "I'm done."<p>

Kujo shuffled to a random bookshelf, thoroughly inspecting each book-from its worn binding to its rugged cover. As he did so, Kujo wondered how it was possible for a girl raised in such an enviroment to _not only_ be able to read but, to be able to read at a pace so quick that it only took her a day (or so) to completely soak in all the hidden information within the thick, heavy tome.

If he had known that she was that intelligent, he probably wouldn't have offered...Kujo gave a sigh for, that wasn't true. He would have brought her a book again _no matter_ what condition he and it would be left in...her shining eyes the only reward he would ask for.

Yet, Kujo could not quite fathom what drew him to her-fascination, adoration, respect, or friendship. Being with her, it seemed that all of these feelings were jumbled and mixed together to form something new...a feeling that he had known once upon a time.

Was it something to do with his job? His family? Avril? Or was it his...dreams; those voices that uttured incoherent words, plaguing his mind day by day.

"Vic-to-ri-que," he whispered. It was a beautiful name and...he liked the way each syllable rolled off his tongue at its own pace.

He finally selected a book; its color a faded lavender.

It felt like a selfish thought on his part but, he wanted to be her friend...the one to teach her joy, happiness, respect, and so many other emotions-some of them he couldn't quite place his finger on.

"Victorique," Kujo hastily walked out of the cozy library; running as soon as his limbs met fresh air.

* * *

><p>"Here, Victori...que. It's a...different book," he took a deep breath, somewhat proud at the fact that he wasn't as tired as yesterday.<p>

Her lips twitched as if attempting a smile; her sea-green eyes warming at his presence.

Kujo showed all his pearly-whites; giving her the biggest grin he had made in years.

Victorique took the book and opened it to the first page, her pupils flitting from left to right at an impossible speed.

Kujo was curious as to how long it would take her to finish the volume so, he decided to look around her tower-although there really wasn't much to it.

And that's when he saw something of...interest.

It had very little contrast to the inky black of the room (for it was merely a dull grey) but it seemed to radiate...warmth.

Kujo inched towards the object.

"Hey. Victorique, what's this?" he asked, pointing at the thin, papery material.

It was dirty, tattered, grey from the dust it had accumulated over the years, and above all...disgusting.

Victorique sneered at the offending material and firmly announced, "It's nothing," strongly implying that she did not want to talk about it.

"Oh," he whispered; although the object looked distantly familiar...as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Kujo stared at and inspected the thing-even going so far as to touch it. Yet, he still could not quite fully grasp what it was.

He kneeled down to look at it from a closer perspective when...his stomach gave a deafening cry of starvation, leading Kujo to become curious of something else.

"How...do you get food?" Kujo asked.

"They feed me twice a day," she stated, flipping a page.

Although he should have trusted her every word, he couldn't quite help but want to object to her answer. For, in this murky place where the Sun would rarely shine, it would be extremely difficult to discern day from night...week from month...year from decade. And, the fact that Victorique looked incredibly thin did not help to add to her little 'fact'.

Kujo felt strangely obligated to bring her food...and that's when he remembered why he had felt that way about this material-it was the candy wrapper for his favorite sweet.

"How about next time, instead of just bringing you a book-" Kujo proposed, "-I also bring you some candy?"

"Can-dy?" she whispered, her eyes were now blankly staring at him, not able to understand why he would do something like that for her if it wasn't part of the deal.

"Yeah."

"Thank...you."

Kujo looked at her puzzled expression and smiled, causing her eyebrows to further furrow.

"What are you looking at?" she inquired.

"It's nothing." But in truth, it was not nothing. Looking at her face like that, she looked...human.

Victorique's head was slightly tilted to Kujo's right; silver hair blowing from a nonexistent wind. Her coral bottom lip stuck out in a small pout and her emerald eyes twinkled from a mixture of delight and confusion. And, this was all accomplished while resting her ashen chin on the binding of the book held in her two dainty, feeble hands.

In Kujo's coffee-colored eyes, this was quite...cute.

"You didn't answer me," Victorique's voice was now faint and strained for, after years of not using it, this was its limit.

"Oh...sorry. What did you say again?" Kujo asked, now broken from his short trance.

The girl sighed and rasped, "When will you get me the candy?"

"In a week or so."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Kujo gulped and got up, apparently having had forgotten the time, "Bye, Victorique."

Suddenly, she had an aura of depression about her, her eyes now downcast. And then, without thinking, Victorique reached out for him. But, instead of grasping his hand (for, her short stature would not allow her to do this while sitting), she grabbed his pant leg.

"Uh...Victorique?" he murmured, having accidentally accentuated on the last syllable-making it sound more like a question than the statement he had intended for.

Victorique tentatively let go and...he left.

Her head slowly rose as she dejectedly whispered, "Don't leave me...Kujo."

* * *

><p><strong>There! Chapter 5 is done. <strong>

**And yes, I consider Kujo's eyes and hair as more brown than black. **

**I'm sort of iffy about this chapter, but I still hope you liked it. **

**And I can't wait until the next chapter (well, it should be the next chapter). Kujo's little 'mystery' is starting to unravel. **

**Reviews are appreciated. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Its nice that some of you guys take some time out of your schedule to read and review this story. Thanks for being such an awesome audience. And now for the fun twist (I believe it's considered a twist). **

**Hope you like this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer-I don't own Victorique. I don't own Kujo. I don't own Avril. I don't own Grevil. I don't own Cecile. I don't own the Brians. I don't own Marquis De Blois. I don't own Cordelia. I don't own Saubure. Therefore, I can't own Gosick!**

**Okay. This might sound confusing but I hope it makes sense. This time, the italics section is like Kujo is reliving his memories in his present train of thought but, he can't do a thing about what he's saying. I hope that makes sense. **

* * *

><p>"Book...book...book," Kujo inaudibly murmured, browsing shelf after shelf for something to deem approriate for Victorique.<p>

Unlike before, he couldn't waste his time trying to find the 'best' book for Victorique since, Kujo still had a pantry to raid. After all, it wasn't exactly a secret that the head chef had a cache of candy hidden in the larder.

Although, it was still quite strange that he had not been caught yet...or that no one seemed to know that he came here every morning.

But, Kujo could not stress his bizarre luck for, there was still no telling when and where someone would expose his 'little' crimes of borrowing books from the De Blois library.

He sighed; it really wasn't time to dawdle about like a spoiled toddler.

Finally finding a novel worthy of Victorique's viridian eyes, Kujo rushed out of the library.

* * *

><p>In merely a few seconds, Kujo could already come up with one word to describe the scene before him...grotesque.<p>

Chipped, dingy tiles lined the heather-grey floor as chalky plaster made for a makeshift wall. Counters were made of broken, livid granite that threatened to fall apart at a single touch; tarnished auburn cupboards dangling on their damaged, rusty hinges. To the left of the room, a stocky man (wearing a chef's garb) lay snoring on the floor; pudgy hands curled under his head-serving as a substitute pillow.

Furthermore, everything (with the exception of Kujo himself) seemed to be stained with some sort of...burgundy substance, a 'thin' layer of dust sprinkled over every inanimate object. Also, a revolting smell seemed to be coming from the dozing man's direction. To say it in the least, the place was unsanitary and unfit for making any type of nourishment whatsoever.

Trying his best not to make any noise (or, in other words, trying not to gag), Kujo slowly-but-surely made his way to the ghastly pantry.

One touch of his index finger was all it took for the cheap, flimsy wooden pantry to fall apart. Gulping, Kujo turned around to see if the other man had awoken to the clamor of falling timber.

The obese individual shuddered and mumbled gibberish...otherwise showing no signs of awakening.

Kujo's rapid heartbeat calmed down to a moderate pace as he realized that he was still safe for the time being.

Carelessly grabbing the first sweet he saw, Kujo bolted out of the place; elated to escape from that miserable excuse of a kitchen.

* * *

><p>He didn't stop running until he was back in Victorique's dim, forlorn tower.<p>

She took the book out of his hand, relieving him of its weight.

However, although she would have normally become engulfed in the book's vast knowledge by now, Victorique just eyed him-seemingly expectant of something.

"Wha-oh. H-Here, Victorique," Kujo handed her the candy when...something enveloped him. No, it wasn't fear...nor could it be described as happiness. Instead, it was more of a neutral feeling.

* * *

><p><em>"What is that?" <em>

_Kujo found himself in a park of some sort; vibrant, picturesque flowers, beauteous, chartreuse trees, and leafy bushes lined the paved asphalt road._

_Across the pearly bench that he was apparently seated on, a girl stared at him-expecting an answer to her question. _

_Her resplendent golden hair billowed in the wind; innocent, wide eyes longingly gazing at his hands._

_Before he knew it, Kujo found himself saying, "You mean this?"_

_The girl nodded while inquiring, "Yeah. What is it?"_

_A hand-Kujo assumed it was 'his'-held a beryl sweet. _

_The tiny palm neared the girl, the young blonde staring at the thing in silent awe. _

_"It's candy. Do you want some Vi-"_

_Kujo's puerile voice was immediately cut off as the girl extended her petite arm for the cerulean snack._

_Holding it up to the equally azure sky, she inspected every part of the round, cobalt object. _

_Crinkling was heard as the girl unwrapped the transparent covering of the candy._

_She gingerly licked the sweet. _

_With sparkling emerald eyes and a wide, satisfied grin plastered onto her face, the girl popped it into her mouth._

_"So, you like it Vi-"_

* * *

><p>"...ki," Kujo mumbled.<p>

"What?" Victorique whirled around to face Kujo; candy still in her mouth. For a second, a panicked expression was evident on her pallid face. However, it was dismissed as soon as her eyes met his.

"Vik-ki?" he murmured into thin air.

* * *

><p><strong>And cue the, 'Who the heck is Vikki?' or the, 'I know who Vikki is!' comments (I know at least one person who isn't me that probably does. And she is not allowed to tell). <strong>

**I tried to add mystery. Probably failed. **

**Reviews are appreciated. Criticism is loved-especially because I feel like there is some sort of punctuation error somewhere in this chapter. **


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry for the slightly later update than usual. **

**Thanks for reviewing. **

**I'm surprised no one's reviewed about Vikki yet. It must be easier to guess who she is than I thought (and trust me, I thought it would be _really _easy to guess). -_-"**

**Disclaimer-I wish I owned Gosick. However, I don't. **

* * *

><p>"Vik...ki," he murmured once again.<p>

Had he been looking at Victorique instead of the leaking ceiling, Kujo would have seen her eyes narrow and fists clench.

Through gritted teeth, the girl growled, "Get...out."

A puzzled expression was now on his face as Kujo stared at Victorique...not able to understand why she would want him to leave.

"...I said...get...out," she snarled at Kujo.

"Why?" his question sparked ruby flames within her grassy plains for...through her ears, she had heard a defiant tone instead of his confused inquiry.

"Leave...now," as she demanded this, Victorique grabbed her candy wrapper and attempted to throw it at Kujo.

Yet, seeing as that the wrapper was made of paper, it barely flew a centimeter in front of her before floating to the ashen floor.

In blind fury, the girl reached for her book made of beige leather.

Without a second thought...she threw it at him.

Kujo didn't have time to react as the flying projectile headed in his direction. However, luckily for him, Victorique quite lacked in physical strength and the heavy tome missed him by a fraction of an inch.

Her face twisted and contorted into a mixture of rage, frustration, and misery.

However, before she could scurry to retrieve the volume back, Kujo left-hoping that by doing so, Victorique would return to the usual self she was when around him.

* * *

><p>Shadows crept along the surface of a crumbling tower as dusk approached. However, a lone man stood there-unperturbed by the looming darkness overhead-pondering over many things.<p>

Going by the name of Kujo, the man of chocolate eyes and mahogany hair stood guard, thoughts flitting back and forth between Vikki and Victorique.

_Victorique. _

Thoughts resting on Victorique first, Kujo decided to find out the reasoning behind her infuriation. However, the only conclusion he could come up with was that she had been angered by the mere mention of Vikki.

_Vikki._

How...had he known her? Why...was it that _just _her name brought him a feeling of indescribable warmth?

And furthermore, what connection did the two girls have?

Could it be possible that Victorique had some sort of grudge against Vikki? Or vice versa?

_Victorique._

Although the situation should be reversed, Kujo had never noticed how lonely he was without Victorique to keep him company.

Without her...it felt like he would slowly wither away.

This thought caused him to want to run into the tower and apologize for murmuring Vikki's name...simply because...although he could see nothing wrong with doing something as plain as saying a name...he just wanted to be with Victorique.

Kujo stared at the sky, attempting to determine if he could still make one last 'little' escapade to the two towers.

It most likely wasn't completely accurate but, he estimated it to be around seven.

_There was still enough time._

Scrambling to the De Blois library, one single thought was left.

Victorique...with her cold, calculating gaze yet mysterious, enchanting aura...was like the Moon, while Vikki...with a bright, warm smile and a radiant, joyous atmosphere...was like the Sun.

* * *

><p>As he had promised himself, Kujo was now back at the pinnacle of her prison; a book in hand as compensation for angering Victorique.<p>

A decaying door creaked open...daring him to take a step across the merciless threshold.

Emerald eyes (that desperately reminded him of a wolf) glared at him; silver tresses stood on end...not unlike a hissing feline.

Timidly, Kujo advanced towards Victorique.

Tentatively, he handed her the book...preparing to draw back at any given moment.

"...I-Victorique...I'm s-sorry," Kujo faintly mumbled.

"...Sorry-?" the girl's eyes narrowed...not from anger, but from confusion; clearly forgetting about the book currently placed in her hands.

"F-For making...you angry."

"Angry-?"

Kujo was dumbfounded. Had she honestly never come across those feelings before? Or...had she merely forgotten?

Sighing, Victorique opened the book, already plunged into its contents.

The boy sat down next to her; trying to read over her shoulder.

Apparently not pleased with this action, the girl absentmindedly swatted him away.

Kujo got up, deciding that being around her was enough to cure his own boredom.

Forgetting that he had already explored the prison before, he walked around the perimeter of her fortress of depression.

Subconsciously, he stopped...maybe five feet away from Victorique's right.

Blinking, Kujo stared at the reason as to why he had halted his small tour.

_Dust. _

Kujo mentally scoffed at himself. Why stop to inspect something as ordinary as dust?

Yet, something pulled him towards it.

Of course, it wasn't that distant feeling of nostalgia.

No, it was something else.

Kujo scrutinized the sooty wall.

Now that he thought of it, the amount of dust sprinkled across it was somewhat thinner than the places around it.

Breathing ragged from the fact of not knowing what could be hidden behind those grey particles, his trembling hand brushed the dust away.

He exhaled...then once again, took a deep breath.

There seemed to be two things etched onto the smoky, stony suface.

Starting with the one easier to read, the name _Victorique_ had been neatly scratched onto the wall in large, shaky handwriting.

However, to the left...something else had been written.

Kujo squinted, trying to figure out what it said.

Out of the word, only a V and K were legible. Furthermore, there seemed to be some sort of line that ran diagonally across it...making the words even more impossible to read.

Hoping that this would help him see what had been written, Kujo leaned in towards the wall.

Yet, just when he was about an inch away from finding out what it said, Victorique gave a hushed sneeze; interrupting his investigation.

The boy softly exhaled the breath he had apparently been holding as he rushed to Victorique's side.

Kujo, it seemed, would just have to find out what had been scratched onto the stone another day.

* * *

><p><strong>I tried to make it as not boring as possible.<strong>

**Hope you liked this chapter. **

**Please leave a review when you have the time. Thanks. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for your reviews. And thanks to those who know who Vikki is and have not told. Seriously, I appreciate that. **

**Oh, and for Animeluv3, here's a summary of the story so far (I have no idea what part of the story you find confusing, though)-Kujo gets a job as a guard. He decides to look inside the tower he's guarding because he's curious what's inside. He finds Victorique. Victorique asks him to bring her books. One day, he finds this candy wrapper in her tower. The next day, when he gives her candy, he remembers a bit of his past...leading him to find out that the other voice in his dreams is named Vikki. Apparently, Victorique is angry when she hears about this Vikki person and starts to throw things at Kujo until he leaves. Kujo starts to wonder why Victorique would hate Vikki enough to do that to him. He then gives her another book to say sorry (because he is actually bored without Victorique to keep him company). Then, Kujo starts to explore the tower again. He sees writing on the wall. However, he cannot read what one of the words say. **

**Okay, that's pretty much what happened from Ch.1-7. I hope that cleared up the confusion. If not, please tell me what you are confused about so I can give a better explanation. **

**Disclaimer-I'm pretty sure you all know that I...don't Gosick. **

**I'm sorry for the wait. I had Writer's Block. **

* * *

><p><em>"I ..on'.. ..ate ...eau...ul th...gs."<em>

_"H..y Vi..., le..'s go ou...ide a..a..n, ju... ..u an... ...e. Le..'... ...atch ...e li...t sp...rk...ing ...f th.. o...ean ...nce ag...n."_

* * *

><p>"Kujo-kun!"<p>

A wistful expression etched onto his face, his eyes slowly fluttered. They didn't completely open, yes, but they still fluttered.

"Ku-jo! Ku-jo!"

Moaning, said person instinctively grabbed his pillow and pressed it against his ears-a childish attempt to drown out the noise.

"Kujo! Wake up!"

Too much for him to take, Kujo opened his eyes and stared at the source of his current annoyance.

_Avril. _

Jumping up and down and waving her arms in a joyous frenzy, the girl in the gold dress was quite...distinctive among the chartreuse leaves and ebony background.

"Avril, what are you doing here?" Kujo hissed. However, since there was a window between them, the boy might as well have been talking to thin air.

"Who's that? Your girlfriend?" someone asked; everyone else had been up by the time Avril had shrieked the first 'Kujo'.

The boy blushed, embarassed by the question.

Taking it the wrong way, someone else said, "Tell your girlfriend to stop screaming. I was up since three, thanks to that girl of yours!"

His face still crimson, Kujo left to his current 'job' of telling Avril that some people still valued their sleep.

* * *

><p>"You work in the library? Then why are you leaving your post?" Avril asked.<p>

"I...actually work over there where we're heading. I just needed to bring a book to someone," he explained.

"Well, who are you bringing it to?"

"It's...uh...for Victorique."

"Victori-? Can I come with you?"

"Sure...if you want to."

* * *

><p>Kujo turned around, waiting for Avril.<p>

Clumsily clambering up staircase after staircase, his friend finally made it to the very top of the 'Fortress of Depression'.

Choking on air, Avril clutched her heart to calm herself down.

"A-Are you okay?" Kujo asked, wondering if it really was the _smartest_ decision to take her to Victorique's chambers.

"I'm...fi-fine," she coughed, "just gi-ve me...a mi-mi-nute."

Sighing, he started to pat her back until her hoarse coughs were no more.

"Better now?" he asked.

"Yeah. So, you guard this place?"

"..."

"Why...would Victorique live here though? Is she a bad person?"

"I...don't really...know," Kujo seemed deep in thought; that particular subject had never come up between he and Victorique.

"You trust a person who lives here...even though you don't know why they're in this prison? In ghost stories, that never leads to anything good."

"I-"

Kujo was cut off by the scraping of wood against stone as a crumbling door opened.

Like a twinkling star in an obsidian twilight, luminous peacock orbs reflected the two people as if it were a stained mirror.

Squinting at the pair of eyes, Avril finally got used to the dim lighting of the room...and seemed quite surprised with what she saw.

Eyes widening, she faintly whispered something in Kujo's left ear.

Trying to clear his throat and stifle a laugh at the same time, he announced, "Yes, biologically speaking-Victorique is a girl."

Avril seemed quite flustered that he had answered her out loud and Victorique...didn't look all too pleased that someone would question her gender.

"H-Hi. Nice...to meet you. I'm Avril," Avril shyly murmured.

Exhaling a frustrated breath, Victorique looked away.

"You know...for some reason, you...remind me of...that story called...what was it again? Oh! The Gray Wolf!" the blonde's mood was starting to brighten at the thought of a ghost story.

Giving a huff of vexation, Victorique snatched the book away from Kujo's hand; almost tearing its weak cover in the process.

"Uh...nice weather we're having, huh?" Avril inquired, once again getting quite nervous at the nonexistent response she was getting.

A blatant boom followed by a thundering echo was heard as Victorique's book snapped shut.

"If you are to make idle conversation as insignificantly important to that of a farting newt, then do not speak," Victorique declared.

Kujo (who had been watching by the sidelines up until now) quickly told the girl-of-silver-hair to apologize.

Puffing out her cheeks, Victorique denied having done anything wrong.

Giving an exasperated sigh, Kujo turned to Avril and explained, "I'm sorry. It-She's not always like this."

"O-Oh. I...have to go now. Bye, Kujo," and with that, Avril quickly left the scene.

Waving a small farewell to Avril, he turned around to give Victorique a scolding...only to see said girl reading her novel with glittering, jubilant eyes.

He gave a small cough-merely to gain her attention.

Once that small mission was completed, he bluntly said, "Victorique, that wasn't very nice of you."

Grassy orbs converted into soppy moss.

"Hate..." she whispered.

"Wha-?" his face wrinkled in confusion and eyes flared with anger, "You barely met her! You can't hate someone you barely know!"

"Not her."

"Then what do you hate? The book?"

Victorique eyes looked pleading as she clutched the book; indicating that she had entered quite an interesting development in the novel.

"Then what is it that you hate?" Kujo asked.

"...I hate-" Victorique murmured something inaudible.

"What?"

"Gold," she weakly whispered, eyes dashed with silent guilt.

"What?" he muttered.

Gold..._hate_.

Kujo's eyes flickered with realization.

Vikki's hair was gold.

The wall...that word...must have been Vikki.

He stared at Victorique with an unreadable expression.

Victorique...was Avril right? Was she not as innocent as he had always thought?

* * *

><p><strong>I feel sort of sad for Avril. It's not like I hate her or anything. She's actually a decent character as long as she doesn't interfere with the KujoVictorique couple. **

**Review if you're not too busy. Criticism is deeply appreciated because...this chapter feels...rushed. And, I haven't seen the episodes in quite some time now...so, I'm sorry if any of the characters come off as OOC to you. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! Reviews! Thanks so much!**

**And...Avril probably won't come back in the story anymore. I just randomly threw her in that chapter to make it less awkward than it originally was. **

**'Kay, so...uh...I guess here's the disclaimer. **

**Disclaimer-I don't own it...not that I really want to, though. **

* * *

><p>His neck was stiff...<em>from looking at the sprinkling drops of somber cobalt.<em>

His legs felt like giving way..._for, he had done nothing but standing and staring for hours. _

His pearly irises were bloodshot..._because he had spent too much time gazing at the bleak sky. _

He didn't care.

The sky-how much time did it take...for it to transform from a resplendent teal to a morbid onyx?

How long did it take...for the steady drizzle of the rain to harmonize with his torpid heartbeat?

Pointless chattering surrounded him; the only word that he had not ignored being 'Moon'.

Moon.

The Moon.

_His _Moon.

_Victorique._

Kujo just...couldn't hate her...no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that she was the antagonist of their own story.

And yet, this feeling...couldn't be described as _like._

So, what was left?

What _was_ this?

This undeniable urge to be with her?

This desire to shield her from sorrow?

This feeling of emptiness...despair when he wasn't with her?

He clutched his chest; his heart now a steady rhythm of longing.

Now, he could hear another word plaguing the atmosphere.

Sun.

_Vikki._

Infinite smiles and bountiless warmth was promised if he chose to walk down Vikki's path.

However-no matter what type of guilt shrouded her luminescent orbs-if he were to take Victorique's sallow palm, _his _happiness would always be ensured.

It was impossible to leave one without yearning for the other.

And yet, he had thrown that belief aside-choosing to jump to conclusions rather than wait for a direct answer.

Something moist stung his cheek...then ebbed down to his chin.

Matted chestnut hair dripped with dusky water-weeping the tears that his eyes could not form.

Hands clenched and unclenched; beryl liquid flying everywhere as they did so.

He just couldn't leave her like that. He just...couldn't let sorrow veil her beautiful eyes.

And most importantly, Kujo just knew that today wasn't the day for them to part their ways.

* * *

><p>Kujo scrambled up the rugged terrain of the tower, a book once again in his hand.<p>

"Vic-" he was cut off by muffled screaming.

The boy stopped in his tracks; merely a few inches from her 'door'.

More yells of anger were heard, followed by the harsh clanking of metal against metal.

Shivering in fear, Kujo lifted his ear away from the rotting wood and cautiously peered through its makeshift window.

His eyes widened in horror and jaw fell to create an 'O'; the novel once in his palm now long forgotten on the ashen floor.

The Marquis-his _employer_-was standing upright and emanating a dangerous aura; his bespectacled face twisted into a repulsive grimace.

Squinting, Kujo vaguely saw something shining in the man's fist.

Gradually, he could somewhat identify the object in the Marquis' clenched hand to be a necklace-one that he had occasionally seen adorning Victorique's livid neck.

A crescendo of coughs were vocalized near the Marquis.

Tilting his head towards that direction, Kujo could see Victorique sprawled on the floor-violently hacking towards the ground.

Her pallid hand rubbed her now cardinal neck; possibly indicating that the Marquis De Blois had snatched the accessory from her neck.

And, if this thought was correct, then Kujo had little doubt that...if the necklace's metal had been any stronger, Victorique would have...been no more.

Snarling, the Marquis tightened his grip on the locket and marched towards Kujo's direction.

Absentmindedly, Kujo stepped back a few feet; not taking the safer journey down the staircases into careful consideration.

The deteriorating timber flew open with an intense force; rotting wood and jagged splinters taking to the air...all which miraculously never made contact with Kujo.

If possible, the Marquis' eyes narrowed further as they rested upon Kujo.

"You...what are you doing here?" the Marquis growled through gritted teeth.

"I-" the reality of the situation finally dawned on Kujo as the Marquis' mossy orbs bored into his auburn pupils.

"I-" Kujo tried again, "-heard...a noise and...came up here to...check on it..."

The Marquis De Blois looked infuriated.

"Boy, I did not hire you so you could 'check' on meaningless noises!" Kujo visibly winced at the older man's words, "Now, back to your post before I choose to discharge you!"

Gulping, Kujo dashed down the crumbling steps; an image of a pained Victorique deeply embedded into his mind.

* * *

><p>Kujo had found it in some bushes near Victorique's tower; a beam of light in the damp murkiness of his world.<p>

As soon as he had found it, he had bolted; the pendant threatening to fly away from his trembling grasp.

He didn't know what it meant to her but...but...

Somehow, he was...he was already back.

Back in this depressing prison.

However, this time, instead of a heavy tome...a flimsy necklace was in his fist.

The piece of wood separating Victorique from the world was now nonexistent-broken from the Marquis De Blois' maliciousness.

"Victorique...I-" he took a step across the threshold, "-brought you-" another step and he was closer to her, "-back the-" another, and he was only a foot away, "-necklace."

A feeble, shaking hand extended towards Kujo's direction.

And, as the chain links clanked against one another, falling into a livid palm...Kujo's vision blurred.

* * *

><p>"<em>Maman! I want her back!"<em>

_The sky was clear, flowers were in blooom, and birds were chirping. _

_So...why were salty tears trailing down Vikki's face?_

_Vikki-his Sun-was crying...and he could do nothing about it. _

_He had created a false assumption due to one memory. _

_And now..._

_Vikki...Victorique...they were both crying_

_"Don't worry-" he couldn't do anything about what he was saying but, even if he could, he would have said the exact same thing, "-Vikki-chan. I'm sure your Maman will come back."_

_Her hands were balled into trembling fists as she tried to wipe the cerulean tears from her eyes. _

_"Why did she run away?" _

_Tears weren't suited for her face. _

_"Here," something dropped in her lap, the familiar clanking of metal ringing in Kujo's ears, "This way, your Maman will always be with you."_

_Sniffling erupted but the salty water stopped flowing. _

_Her palm opened to reveal a minuscule portrait of a woman that quite resembled her. _

_Delicate, porcelain fingers opened the trinket in her hand. _

_The corners of her mouth lifted upon seeing that the picture would fit in the locket. _

_"Maman..."_

* * *

><p>"Maman...Maman..."<p>

Kujo was shaken from his subconscious by Victorique's quivering voice.

"Maman..." the locket was in her hands.

The locket...that looked...exactly like the one he had apparently given Vikki.

Her emeralds were brimming with tears.

Right now...the locket-Vikki-didn't matter.

He had given them the necklace.

He had made Vikki's cries of woe subside.

Now, all that mattered was Victorique.

Kneeling down, Kujo spread out his arms to embrace her.

All he wanted...was to make her sorrow recede.

All he wanted...was to make her eyes glow...to show him...that she was happy.

Yes, he definitely didn't hate Victorique.

And yet, all these mixed emotions-it couldn't possibly be _like_.

So, what...was...this?

* * *

><p><strong>Finally! I finally finished this chapter! My gosh...these chapters are getting harder and harder to write. <strong>

**And...I don't remember ever seeing Kujo cry...so...I don't know if he actually can. **

**Okay. So, this has absolutely nothing to do with anything but, I have a poll on my profile. I would really appreciate it if you voted because it might (probably won't) help me with my writing. But, you don't have to vote on it if you don't want to. Like I said...it has absolutely nothing to do with anything. **

**Thank you for reading this chapter and please review if you can! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Well then, it's been like, two...three...weeks since I last updated. Uh...wow. **

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews.**

**And also, thanks to those viewers who have followed this story up until now.**

**Well, the story isn't done yet but, I just felt like thanking you guys because its the tenth chapter. **

**So...thanks! X)**

**Disclaimer-Congratulations! You have read the tenth disclaimer of the story! For those of you who actually read these things, here is a cookie.**

* * *

><p>Their words were made of silent gratitude; conversations of solemn echoes.<p>

Victorique trembled in his arms. The tears that flowed from her eyes soiled his already ruined uniform.

Not wanting to interrupt the pregnant silence between them, Kujo started to rub the small of her back; trying to tell her (in actions instead of words) that everything was fine.

Muffled, ragged breathing caused by her choked sobs ensued. However, her river flow ceased to an end.

Kujo hesitantly let go; the loss of their shared warmth leaving him shivering in the bitter fortress.

Chain links clinked against one another as Victorique fumbled to fasten the accessory around her neck. Indicating that she would appreciate help for this difficult task, Victorique turned her back towards him.

The ringing of flimsy metal danced across the room as it became Kujo's turn to link the locket together.

"I-" their ears not having been used for quite some time, it was difficult to tell who had said this.

"Is...the Sun still out?" these hushed whispers couldn't be Kujo's.

Yet, said person didn't know what time of day it was-noon or dusk (for, dawn had already passed).

"Kujo...please...take me to where the Sun still shines," the boy was now certain that these vocalizations were escaping from Victorique's coral lips.

He stared at the ashen ceiling, lost in thought.

_To take her to the Sun...where its rays of gentle warmth would caress her pallid cheeks; where her viridian eyes could finally see the world without the need of novels or portraits._

In a sense, her wish was also his.

Because-although he didn't understand why-Kujo knew that as long as her orbs even indicated the slightest hint of joy, then his world would be complete.

"Sure, Victorique," he answered.

* * *

><p>The gentle breeze tickled her pale cheeks as the girl stared in wonder and amazement at the vibrant petals that flew by her.<p>

A butterfly's wings hummed near her silver tresses while Victorique's bare feet traipsed across the fields of chartreuse beneath her.

Tilting her head up towards the sapphire sky, she unconsciously found herself sitting down on the emerald plains.

"Beautiful..." she whispered, gazing in awe at the sight of the cerulean blanket overhead. Her emeralds softened; her lips twitched as if attempting a smile.

Then, as her charcoal pupils met the Sun, her eyelids instinctively shut. Ever so slightly, the corners of her lips fell.

"I thought that it would be fine if I saw the Sun; that I had forgotten what had happened," Victorique murmured, "But still, I remember. The past is impossible to erase."

Kujo's hand reached out to console her. And yet, this was in vain.

Drawing back, he stared at his palm that was now speckled with dust.

His head turned back towards Victorique's direction and his mahogany eyes widened to the size of saucers.

In the area that he had made contact with her, small specks of gold were escaping from her silver locks.

"Let me tell you a story," her delicate voice escaped her trembling lips, weaving a tale unlike any other he had ever heard, "It may have happened quite some time ago yet, it does not start with 'Once Upon a Time' nor end with "Happily Ever After'.

"This story begins ten years ago; a time when I was a different person. It was a time before I was caged behind crumbling stones.

"If you ever asked my father, he would always say that he loved Maman from the bottom of his heart. And yet, one glance at Maman's face and all his words would fall apart into a web of intricately woven lies.

"Every night-" Kujo wanted to tell Victorique to stop; he wanted to kneel down and beg on his knees. It was more than obvious that this was drilling pain deep into her heart and mind. But, every word he tried to utter was caught in his throat; all his limbs were temporarily paralyzed, "-you could hear their screaming. Yet, they were not the passionate cries exchanged between lovers. No, they were something else entirely. It was as if Maman's yells and echoes were of pain and suffering. Father's...were indecipherable.

"But, even then, Maman would never show whatever agony she had had as the Moon was aglow. Instead, she would stay by my side. Maman would call my name; protect me from my fears and nightmares. Even now, I remember what she would always say to comfort me. Even now, that phrase gives me hope.

"I remember that day so clearly. Maman was brushing my hair as I sat in her lap. The door creaked and a man entered the room. This man was not one whom I recognized. However, my mother kindly invited the man to her side," Kujo stood there, captivated by her intriguing storytelling; forgetting the world surrounding him and only caring for her voice, "I had jumped when I saw him walk out of the shadows. The man, whom had introduced himself as Brian Roscoe, looked as if his hair was ablaze.

"Maman smiled and told me to play outside. I should have listened to her words. Because, even if I hadn't known it at that time, that was truly one of my last few days of freedom. Yet, instead, I had chosen to wait outside the door until they came back out. Maman and that man...never did.

"Dusk was approaching. Worried, I opened the door. Only the wind was there to welcome me. The window was somehow open; Maman and the stranger were both gone.

"I was speechless; I was alone. Maman, whom had always told me that 'I Was Her Soul', had left me. She had left me-her soul-bodiless; cursed to forever wander alone.

"My father arrived at the room. He, too, was speechless. Then, he turned to me-the quivering girl surrounded by a circle of wind.

"After a week of shock, he banished me to that tower until I would tell him what had happened. For, he believed that I had known what had transpired behind those doors-which I did. Once a month, he would come and ask me what happened. And once a month, I would always repeat the same answer. Even after she had left, I, Maman's soul, would never tell what had happened. Because, a soul is worthless without a body. I was not about to betray Maman for anything," Victorique coughed; her words that had previously flowed like honey had now been reduced to harsh whispers.

Slowly, her palm reached towards her head. Using her rough fingers, the girl combed her hair; ridding it of the dust and revealing its true color-gold.

"In that tower-" Victorique softly continued, "-I awaited for no one. In that prison, I sat lonely, yet unafraid. But still..._still_...there must be a shortcoming to everything. Gold...was mine.

"As days and nights passed, my hair like spun gold would taunt me. It shimmered and shined like the Sun that I had believed I would never see again. It's unwavering brilliance continued to remind me of what I had had...and what I had lost. Gold...in all its respledent glory...somehow haunted me. So, I collected the dust around me. I covered my hair in dust; a horrid attempt to forget the past.

"And then, in that moment, I had become a different person. I, who had once gone by a different name, had become Victorique. From then on, I was the prisoner Victorique. Because, from then on, I thought I would never remember the past I had buried in layers of dust. I thought that I would forget that I had once gone by the name of-"

"-Vikki," Kujo murmured. Victorique stared at him.

The boy blinked, wondering why he had said that. But, the more he thought of it, the more it made sense.

Vikki and Victorique both owned the same locket. They both had been fond of sweets. Their physical appearances were similar and their hair had been proven to be the same color. And, the first syllable of each name were the same.

Although, their personalities quite differed from each other. But, it was possible for change...wasn't it?

"Yes," Victorique rasped; eyes fluttering from confusion, "It is true. Ten years ago, I had gone by the name of Vikki."

And then, somehow, as those two stared at each other (trapped in yet another pregnant silence) a letter dropped near Victorique's feet.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm done! I'm done! Yaaaaaaaay!<strong>

**Too bad school is starting. So now, it'll take me even longer to update! Boo...**

**Well, either way, this story should be done in about 3-4 chapters. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I hope you're not disappointed, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day/night/whatever-time-you're-reading-this-at.**

**I also hope her past here makes sense...**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay. I'm really sorry about the wait. I just have a bunch of random, annoying plot bunnies randomly jumping around my random brain.**

**Disclaimer-I don't own Gosick. If I did, I would have actually understood what had happened in the last episode. No. Seriously. I didn't get it. In fact, I watched it twice and still had no idea what was going on. Maybe I should watch it a third time...**

* * *

><p>Staring at the ceiling, a weak sigh escaped from his lips.<p>

Everything felt surreal.

It was as if one moment he was talking to Vikki...the next, handing a book to Victorique...and then, holding hands with both.

The boy reached his hand out-as if he were trying to grasp reality with his numb fingertips.

He hadn't spoken a word since his conversation with Vikki..._Victorique_...Vikki...

Kujo didn't know what to call her anymore.

Although he knew that she would insist for him to call her Victorique, he could only recognize her as Vikki.

His senses finally came alive when the door to his sleeping quarters flew open in a raucous cacophony of noise.

Kujo's employer entered the room. Panicking, Kujo sat up straight.

The Marquis narrowed his merciless orbs.

"What are you doing here?" the Marquis inquired through gritted teeth.

The younger of the two could do nothing but gulp as his employer emitted a terrifying aura.

"First, you tread on forbidden premises, and now, you are lounging around during work hours. The first time was hardly excusable. And now, you dare defy me a second time!" Kujo's employer gave a menacing glare.

"I apologize for my behavior, sir. I'll get back to my post right away-"

"No. You won't be doing that. From now on, you are relieved of your duty."

Kujo blinked, unsure if he had heard that right.

"Why are you still here?" the Marquis asked. "If you have so much time on your hands, then start packing whatever belongings you have."

"I understand," Kujo murmured. However, his voice started to crescendo, becoming a nearly deafening cry. "But, if I leave, Vic...Vic-"

"Vic-?" the Marquis' eyes narrowed further, causing Kujo to internally shudder. "Leave."

Simultaneously blinking and nodding, Kujo took out a small briefcase and proceeded to pack his few belongings.

Apparently satisfied, the Marquis de Blois left.

"Do not trouble yourself with her," a nonexistent wind hissed.

* * *

><p>The gate closed, blocking the view of the mansion.<p>

Gripping his suitcase, Kujo wandered about the streets.

With his meager wages, it would be difficult to find a place to stay.

_For now, I guess I'll ask if I can stay with Avril, _he thought.

His stomach growled for food. Kujo paid no mind to that as he ambled around the streets.

As the road brightened by dozens of flickering lights overhead, a delicious aroma wafted through the air, taunting him.

Kujo stopped, ignoring his famine and blurry vision.

With harsh, ragged breathing, he attempted to walk on ahead.

He just needed to get to Avril's house. Just needed to...

From the bleak sky, it looked like a piece of the sky fell...followed by another...and another.

Blanketing the ground in a vast expanse of cerulean, it seemed that the falling sapphires would never end.

Panting, he finally made it to her house.

Barely managing to raise his hand to knock on the door, he waited...and waited.

Each interval between consciousness and darkness seemed to become longer as Kujo started to cough.

The doorknob in front of him looked as if it was splitting into two. The previously intricate patterns on it were now imperceptible as it became a broze blob.

He heard a faint clicking noise, followed by an eerie creaking noise. Someone shrieked.

Kujo could barely sense a white mist formed by his chapped lips and uneven breathing.

When his half-lidded walnuts finally closed shut, he became engulfed in a radiant light.

The last thing he could make out was a heavy _thud._

* * *

><p><em>So bright. <em>

_Everything was just so bright. _

_Emerald orbs bored into his; a shy smile faintly visible on her lips. _

_"Are you awake?" the girl asked. _

_"...Yeah. Were you here the whole time, Vikki?" he asked. _

_"Yes."_

_Kujo wanted to ask her so many questions._

_Was this before or after her mother left? Was her actual name Vikki?_

_"Thanks," he mumbled, wishing he could control the words tumbling from his lips. . _

_"I need to go," the girl smiled. "Bye."_

_"Oh. Yeah. Bye."_

_She smiled again. _

_Kujo finally noticed. _

_Her smile-it didn't reach her eyes anymore. _

* * *

><p><em>He woke up again. <em>

_Kujo blinked. _

_He was in the park again; the park where he had always met Vikki. _

_Leaves rustled and birds sang. _

_Vikki...Victorique...Vikki..._**She**_...was not here. _

_And then, he saw it. _

_It was minuscule and difficult to see in the harsh rays of the Sun but, it was there._

_A glint of gold. _

_He turned in that direction. _

_Kujo saw a mass of gold, shining in the sunlight._

_"Vikki!" he cried. _

_He didn't know if she had heard it and chosen to ignore his desperate cry or if she hadn't heard it at all. _

_Kujo reached his hand out, trying to reach her. _

_His surroundings changed; everything was now a murky ebony. _

_The gold of her hair shimmered, taunting him...just like how she described her imprisonment._

_"Vikki? Vikki! Vikki! Vikki!"_

_Kujo ran as far as his small legs could carry him. _

_The light only moved further and further away. _

_"Vikki! Come back! Wait!" _

_His pleas were to no avail; the light dimmed, and flickered. _

_He stopped, finally coming to terms with the current situation. _

_But, something fell, stinging his cheeks. _

_Kujo sniffed and made a high-pitched noise from the back of his throat. _

_Was he crying?_

_Hiccuping, he wiped his eyes. _

_"Vikki..."_

_His right hand tightened around a circular object nestled into his palm. _

_Hearing something crack, Kujo loosened his grip on the object-causing it to fall from his clenched fist in shattered pieces. _

_Candy. _

_The candy he had given to _**her**_._

_"Why did you leave?"_

_Another hiccup. _

_"Why, Vikki?"_

* * *

><p>The soothing trills of a bird finally roused him out of his slumber.<p>

Panting-coughing, maybe-Kujo clutched his heaving chest to calm himself down.

He vaguely noticed that he was in a pint-sized room. Though heated by a flickering fire, it was not at all cozy; the flames that swallowed blocks of wood created a monstrous shadow on the stucco wall. The window to his far left was agape, leaving rain to dampen his somewhat sour mood and winds to prove his heat source unreliable.

Raising its wings, the forgotten animal made an obscure noise and flew towards his direction.

Although Kujo had instinctively flinched, the feathered creature gracefully landed on the boy's shoulder.

Cooing, the bird (that Kujo had recognized to be a dove) lifted its leg out, exposing a piece of vellum hastily tied onto its leg.

Though somewhat hesitant, Kujo swiftly untied the knot and let the dove free.

Chirping one last serenade, the avian left through the window, braving rain and thunder.

Bading a silent farewell to the bird, the boy slowly unfurled the drenched paper.

He squinted, trying to make sense of the blurred ink before him.

"Marquis...de Bl...Blois, we...acce..pt your offer...in...your..." Kujo stared at it in disbelief, then gave a nervous laugh.

No matter how many times he tried to convince himself otherwise, he knew that this was legit.

His heart wrenched. **She** didn't have anything to do with him anymore. So, why did he care?

"She's getting married," he murmured to no one.

Why? Why did this even matter to him?

His heart ached, beating a morose rhythm.

Kujo only knew one thing-he couldn't make sense of anything anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>Did you like it? <strong>

**Review please? Criticize? I'm not too sure about this chapter. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi! I changed my profile name!**

**I'm sorry for the wait. I just got reeaaaaaally lazy. And then I went to camp for a week without internet access. And then I came back here only to delete all of my previous work on this chapter because it was too awkward. -_-"**

**So, here is chapter 12. I had to look up a bunch of stuff for it. ****If you would like to know why I used the flowers that I did, skip to the Author's Note at the very bottom of this chapter. Otherwise, please enjoy this chapter. **

**Can you see the disclaimer? That's right! It's right here!-~I don't own Gosick~-Right there!**

**I'm also not one for describing clothes. So, Victorique's wedding dress is the one she wore in the last episode of Gosick. **

**Italics this time are Kujo's thoughts. **

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

_._

_...Why am I here?..._

_._

_._

A cerise carpet was spread out on the floor beneath him-slightly tarnished from the dirt on Kujo's shoes and torn from the nervous scuffling of the chattering people around him. Miniature pillars (spaced roughly ten inches apart from one another) stood erect on the edges of the large carpet. Drooping amaranths practically laid trailing to the floor on said pillars; yellow poppies and a plethora of celadines gently placed on top of the fuchsia flowers. A wistful expression plastered itself on Kujo's face for, the celadines and poppies desperately reminded the boy of **her** golden tresses.

Yet, just then, someone's finger lightly met the smooth, alabaster surface of an organ key. The person held the note, letting a monotonous melody vibrate across the room.

_._

_._

_...Why does it hurt? Why can't I leave?..._

_._

_._

Conversations started to die down to complete and utter silence. Heads turned to face the collosal oak doors behind them. Ever so slowly, the polished cocoa wood parted way, allowing the bride to walk her way down the silent aisle.

Solemnly, the bride started the long journey to the other end of the chapel..._alone. _She trudged across the room, each step she took seemingly heavier and slower than the last...as if her ivory dress were weighing her down. Her hands, trapped inside cream gloves, started to tremble; the gorses, forget-me-nots, dahlias, and coral primroses starting to shed their petals due to her unconscious shaking. Strands of her amber locks (evident beneath her nearly translucent veil) started to fly astray as she started to frantically search for someone. For a second, her emerald orbs met his...then continued to search for that one individual among the crowd of people. Then, as if giving up hope, her shoulders fell, a bitter sigh escaping her lips.

_._

_._

_...Why is she so sad?..._

_._

_._

Kujo started to shudder, fighting the urge to go up and comfort her.

Yet, just as he made the decision to do so, the bride made it to the altar, her dainty hands engulfed by the groom's rough grasp. Kujo could only sorrowfully stare at the two as the priest cleared his throat and proceeded to join the two in holy matrimony.

Upset, the boy attempted to drown out the noise with his own thoughts but, still, each word from the priest broke through whatever barrier Kujo had created, sending a wave of pain word by word; a flood of grief sentence by sentence; a tsunami of anguish paragraph by paragraph.

.

.

_...Please...stop..._

_._

_._

The priest, continuing to drone on, ignored Kujo's silent pleas. Agitated, Kujo's hands started to pinch and grope his pants-scratching and starting to burn the skin on Kujo's legs.

_._

_._

_...Stop..._

_._

_._

The collar on Kujo's blouse felt as if it were encircling his throat, strangling him.

.

_._

_...Please..._

_._

_._

Panting, Kujo looked in front of him, only to see...see...Vi...ctorique looking at the stranger.

For a second, the world seemed to stop. He...had called her Victorique. Not Vikki. Not **her.** Not 'the bride'. Yes...Victorique...was Victorique.

.

.

..._Victorique..._

_._

_._

"Speak now or forever hold your peace."

It was selfish. It was a _selfish _of him. But he didn't care. He finally knew why he had risked his job to bring her a book; why he had snuck into the pantry for just one sweet; why his heart hurt every time he saw her with another.

.

.

..._Victorique..._

_._

_._

Firmly planting his feet on the floor, Kujo stood up, his voice resonating across the church. One by one, heads turned, looking for the source of the interruption. However, even as people glared at Kujo, he paid no mind. The realization he had currently made was too strong a thought for others to get in the way of his decision.

.

"I object!"

.

* * *

><p><strong>...Some sentences sound awkward. <strong>

**Now, as promised, here are the reasons why I used the flowers that I did. **

* * *

><p><strong>Aisle:<strong>

**Amaranth-Eternal Love**

**Celandine-Joys to Come**

**Yellow Poppy-Wealth and Success**

* * *

><p><strong>Bouquet:<strong>

**Gorse-Love in All Seasons**

**Forget-Me-Not~True Love**

**Dahlia-Elegance and Dignity**

**Pale Pink Primrose-Eternal Love**

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews are deeply appreciated! <strong>


End file.
